Improvement in lever-presses



A. CAMERON.

Laver-Pres ses.

No, 168,449, Patented 0ct.5,1875.

NPETERS, FMOTO-LIYNOGRAFNER WASHINGTON. D C.

Urvrrnn STATES PATENT Orrron.

ARGHIBALD CAMERON, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

IMPROVEMENT IN LEVER-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 168.449., dated October5, 1875; application filed July 24, 11:75.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARCHIBALD CAMERON, of the city and county ofCharleston, in the State of South Carolina, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Leverv nary operation of such presses, unlessthe piston reaches the end of its compressing-stroke the full effect ofthe leverage is not obtained, nor, unless the bulk and yielding capacityof the mass under operation bear a fixed relation to the stroke of thepress, can the necessary compression be effected, even if the pistonworks its full stroke. Numerous expedients, temporary and otherwise,have been proposed to meet this difficulty; and my invention, in whichis used a compound bed or platen, made adjustable by hydraulic meanswhen the pressure is on a bale, or other substance to be pressed,without the necessity of operating the follower, consists in a certaincombination of supplementary cylinders or chambers and pistons thereinwith the fixed bed-plate of the press, and a movable plate for operationin connection with the follower and working reservoir of the press; andthe invention furthermore consists in a combination of one or more ofsaid supplementary cylinders and their pistons with an adjustablepressing-plate controlled by said pistons. By these means increasedfacilities are. afi'orded for working and adjusting the press free fromthe difficulties hereinbefore cited.

Figure 1 represents a vertical and mainly sectional view of a presshaving my invention applied, and Fig. 2 a plan of the adjustable bed orplaten.

A is the bed-plate, on which a steam-cylinder, B, is arranged, saidcylinder being provided with a piston which carries a double rack, 0,that gears with toothed sectors D D, having their fulcrums at b 12.These sectors form the working-levers of the press, and are connected,by rods E E, with the follower F below. In the bed-plate A are twocylindrical openings, G G, and outside of these again in said plate twosmaller cylindrical openings,'H H. G G are plungers, made to closely fitthe cylindrical openings Gr G, and connected below with a plate, A,which forms the adjustable portion ofthe bed or platen, the two plates AA making up the entire bed. The two smaller cylindrical openingsH H arefitted with pistons H H, having rods h h, which project downward, andare secured to the ends of the plate A at c c. I is a pipe, connectingthe cylindrical openings or chambers G G, and l a fluid-supply pipe,connecting the pipe I with the water or other fluid reservoir K above,and provided with a valve, 01. L L L L are also water or fluid pipes,and M M branches connectin g the pipe L with the cylindrical chambers HH. A threeway cock, f, is applied to the pipes L L L at their junctionwith each other, and a check-valve, g, to the pipes L L at theirjunction. The pipe L leads to a pump of any of any suitable kind, andthe pipe L connects with the upper portion of the reservoir K, while thepipe L connects with the lower end thereof.

Steam is admitted to or exhausted from the steam-cylinder B in theordinary or any suitable manner, and a gage, controlled by the fluidwhich is brought to bear upon the plate A, may be applied to the press,if desired, to indicate the pressure upon the bale or mass undercompression. Under no circumstances will it be necessary to exhaust thesteam from the cylinder B for the purpose of adjusting the platen whenthe press is in action.

The operation is as follows: Turn the handle of the three-way cock f sothat the fluid from the pump can flow through the pipes L L to the topof the reservoir K. Then start the pump and fill the reservoir K withwater, or whatever adjusting-liquid the fluid may be. When the reservoirK is full, turn the handle of the cock f so that liquid will flowthrough the pipe L and branches M M, and enter the cylinders H H. Thiswill cause the pistons H H to be forced upward, and to raise the plateA. If the piston in the cylinder B stops before reaching the'end of itscompressing; stroke, and so fails, as regards its operation of thelevers 0r sectors D D, to get the full effectof the leverage, and toexert the full power of the press on'the bale or mass under compression,the valve 01 is opened,and a portion of the liquid from the chambers G Gallowed to escape, which causes the piston in the cylinder B to stillfurther ascend, and thereby cause the sectors D D to give out a moreeffective leverage on the bale or mass under compression. The operationof open.- ing the valve 01 and allowing a portion of the liquid toescape from the cylinders G G may be repeated as often as necessary, oruntil the plate A assumes such a position as will allow of the sectors DD assuming such a position. that their leverage will reach the point atwhich the power of the press is fully exerted upon the mass undercompression, without loss of time or waste of steam.

The plate A may be raised, if desired, at any time when the press is notin operation by pumping liquid through the pipe L, cock-f, pipe L andbranches M into the cylinder or chambers H H, and forcing up the pistonsH H. This adjustment may be regulated by the cock f, which allows theliquid to enter the cylinder H H, or to escape therefrom, as required.

The check-valve g allows the liquid to enter the cylinders H H from thereservoirK whenever neoessary, and should the cock f be shut off; butall escape of liquid from the cylinders H H must be regulated by thecock f.

I claim 1. The combination of the supplementary cylinders or chambers HH and their pistons H H with the fixed bed-plate A and the movable plateA, for operation in relation with the follower F and reservoir K,essentially-as described.

2. The combination, with an adjustable pressins-plate, of one or morepistons, H, and cylinders H, for controlling said plate, substantiallyas specified.

B10111); *S. GANTT, JAMES J. GRACE.

